FOOTROT IN GOATS 

Pashu Sandesh, 26th August 2021

 Dr Madhu Shivhare, Dr Jyotsana, Dr Deepika Ceaser, Dr Nidhi Singh, Dr . S. S. Mahour 

Assistant Professor

College of Veterinary Science & AH, Mhow (M .P.)

Footrot is a bacterial infection prevalent in warm, moist areas. Footrot is caused mainly by the synergistic action of the bacteria Fusobacterium necrophorum and Dichelobacter nodosus. The D. nodosus bacteria can cause various degrees of involvement of the sole. Footrot can have a range of clinical signs, depending on the specific strain(s) of D. nodosus present. Foot scald infects only the area between the toes and often clears up quickly with treatment or with improving environmental conditions. Virulent footrot is much more of a problem, as the bacteria enter the hoof and digest the hard, horny tissue of the sole that protects the fleshy tissue of the hoof. Virulent footrot in sheep and goats causes much economic loss and increased management effort. Once it infects a herd/ flock, it is difficult to eradicate. Clinical signs of foot scald include redness and inflammation between the toes and a bad odour.

 In advanced cases, the hoof horn becomes underrun and actually can separate from the hoof wall. Foot scald and footrot can cause lameness, reduced weight gain as animals are less willing to move to feed, and decreased reproductive capabilities. These conditions result in production losses, treatment and prevention costs, premature culling, and reduced sale value of infected animals. Both sheep and goats are susceptible to footrot. Moreover, some of the different strains of D. nodosus affect both animal species. In general, goats are usually less severely affected by footrot than are sheep. Footrot commonly appears on a farm when an infected sheep or goat is brought into the herd. The D. nodosus bacteria can not live in the environment for more than about 14 days, so almost always, the source of the bacteria in an unaffected herd/flock is a carrier animal. Footrot occurs more commonly when feet are not trimmed frequently enough and in crowded housing situations. Some inpiduals are genetically more susceptible than others, and 5 to 10 per cent of infected sheep become chronic carriers of footrot. These animals should be culled to prevent them from re-infecting the rest of the herd. While not as likely as with carrier animals, footrot can also be spread on boots, tires, feeders, or handler’s hands, so care must be taken if footrot is present in the herd. Producers should not purchase animals with footrot or from infected flocks, and should not use areas or vehicles that infected sheep have inhabited. Quarantine any new additions to the herd for 30 days, and trim feet before introducing them to the other animals. 

To prevent footrot, it is absolutely imperative to avoid the introduction of the disease to a footrot-free herd/flock. Other management tasks that help maintain good foot health include regular hoof trimming and sound nutrition. Foot soaking baths using zinc sulfate can be constructed to treat footrot in conjunction with systemic treatment. Vaccines are effective 60 to 80 per cent of the time and can be used with other management practices to reduce the prevalence of footrot. A combined treatment plan of foot trimming, foot baths, vaccination, and antibiotic treatment (for the most severe cases), can be effective in controlling the physical clinical signs of footrot. To eliminate footrot from the herd takes a dedicated and labour-intensive plan of action that includes treating animals, separating infected from non-infected animals, and culling animals that cannot be cured.